Local 97 – CDHA Nurses Bargaining To Continue January 29 & 30

Although very little bargaining occurred, in the afternoon your employer tabled a “Final Settlement Offer.” This offer does not even come close to addressing the proposals your bargaining committee has presented on your behalf regarding nurse-to-patient ratios, work schedules, vacation scheduling or any other substantive proposals.

The employer also still has their “clawback” proposals in this so-called settlement offer:

They want to expand the four-week vacation restriction now in place from June to September to include vacation taken during March break and the nine days from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day;

They no longer want to pay for Basic Life Support certification and want to place that burden on employees who are required to have the BLS certification;

They want to discontinue the Education Premium for a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing for newly hired Registered Nurses;

They want to discontinue the 11% Casual nurses receive in lieu of benefits if a Casual nurse is receiving Retiree Benefits.

Your bargaining committee is determined to make improvements to your collective agreement and has clearly indicated they are not going to bargain away your rights and benefits.

We understand the importance of being able to provide safe, high quality nursing care to your patients by having appropriate nurse-to-patient ratios.

We understand the significance of having some work-life balance by establishing and maintaining acceptable work and vacation schedules .

We will be returning to the bargaining table on Wednesday, January 29th and Thursday, January 30th and will be providing our response to the employer’s “Final Settlement Offer.” Your bargaining committee will continue to bargain in your best interest.

One Response to Local 97 – CDHA Nurses Bargaining To Continue January 29 & 30

I agree that it is time to get rid of the education premium as a premium. It is now a requirement to have a degree to enter the workforce as a new grad. It needs to be rolled into the basic wage package. Those of us with a degree need to be upgraded to the next pay level and then the extra pay will be pensionable. I think the same for special unit premium. upgrade our basic wage instead and make it pensionable.